West Berlin police battle with squatter protesters

Hundreds of police batled with demonstrators in West Berlin early Thursday on the third day of violent protests over police action against squatters. Eight police and an unknown number of protesters were injured in the clashes in West Berlin's working-class Kreuzberg district and other areas of the city, a police spokesman said.

Local housing shortages and a spate of protests linked with squatters in West German cities have become major issues in the campaign for municip al elections May 10.